


The Mystery of Fantasy

by PrincessFawna



Category: Umineko no Naku Koro ni | When the Seagulls Cry
Genre: F/M, Short, vague poetic thematic tone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-31 12:02:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19425583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessFawna/pseuds/PrincessFawna
Summary: A man and a woman sat at a table playing chess.  The woman was and wasn’t the man’s wife, just as the man was and wasn’t the woman’s husband.





	The Mystery of Fantasy

A man and a woman sat at a table playing chess. The woman was and wasn’t the man’s wife, just as the man was and wasn’t the woman’s husband. Their forms flickered, inconsistent. A ring glittered then disappeared, the woman vanished and reappeared, the man sometimes became a hunched over corpse, blood blossoming over his chest, staining white clothes.

The woman in black grinned as she reached to move her pawn, changing then—she was a little girl, much too young—she was a frail boy, unable to even lift the pawn—she was a hunched, wet figure, shivering—she was a smiling man, confident and cruel—she was a regal heir, serene—she was a doll, lifeless—she was herself—she was nothing.

The man was less varied in his shifting—his hair turning white and his shoulders shaking in fear—then he was a wrinkled old man, sadly soft and fragile—then, himself, smirking, daring—and then a corpse.

A halo of blue came down over the man, draping his shoulders in a mantle of great weight. Wings sprouted from his back, but they were dragged down by thick blue chains.

The woman had a thousand red swords pointed at her heart, floating around her, waiting to strike. A cage of words circled her, red letters painting truths she wished she could forget.

A field of roses surrounded them, golden petals moving even though there was no wind. The pieces on the chessboard melted in insignificance.

The man’s gaze raised to look at the woman, and realization sparked within. He tried to stand, ignoring the game, to reach out for her—only to be forced back into his seat by the tightening of the chains.

He gasped in pain and the woman smiled softly—the swords surged forward.


End file.
